Incline Smith Machine Press
Primary Muscle Group: Pectorals
Secondary Muscle Group: Shoulders, Triceps
Equipment Needed: Smith Machine, Weight Plates, Incline Bench
The Benefits of Incline Smith Machine Press
The Incline Smith machine bench press is a machine-based movement targeting the upper pectoral muscles. The Incline smith machine bench press is a safe and secure way to progress your max lift. This exercise mimics the traditional movement of an incline barbell chest press but provides more stability, making it safer if you don’t have a spotter. This movement can be programmed in low reps for strength or higher reps for muscle and strength endurance. It is often performed for moderate to high reps, such as 8-12 reps per set or more, as part of a chest or upper-body focused workout.
Some key benefits are;
Adds size and strength to the upper chest, shoulders and triceps.
Many lifters find they feel the movement more in their chest and less in their shoulders than the traditional bench press.
The bar moves on a track making it easier to control.
If you are looking for other exercises that are the best for building muscle or wanting to lose body fat then you should check our Free Workout Plan or our Workout Plans With Coaching for professionally designed workout plans that have been proven to get results.
The Risks of doing Incline Smith Machine Press
When performing the Incline smith machine bench press you are not using your stabilising muscles which can cause muscle imbalances. This can cause injuries when you change to the Incline barbell or Incline dumbbell chest press because those muscle are put under huge strain, that they aren’t used to. We suggest that you add this into your workout along with a healthy mix of free weight movements.
How To Do Incline Smith Machine Press
1. Start off by placing a bench at a 45-degree angle in the middle of a smith machine so that the bar is in line with the middle of your chest.
2. Lie down with your back flat on the incline bench and grab the bar with a shoulder-width grip as this will be your starting position.
3. Unlatch the bar, then slowly lower it down towards your chest until it barely touches and you feel a stretch in your muscles.
4. Hold this position for a count then return back up to the start
For Perfect Technique
Keep the rep timing slow and control the weight throughout the set.
Do not "bounce" the bar off your chest.
Don't lock your elbows out at the top of the movement.
Use a wider than shoulder width grip so that the emphasis is placed on your chest and not front shoulder muscles.
Variations
Once you have mastered the Incline Smith Machine Chest Press you can try alternative exercises that target similar muscle groups such as;
How To Do Close Grip Chest Press
1. Lie on the bench with your feet flat on the floor and grip the barbell with your hands around shoulder-width apart. (They can be slightly closer than that, but don’t move them too close together or the set-up will become unstable and you’ll risk being injured)
2. Tighten your abdominals and squeeze your shoulder blades together to stabilise your body.
3. Lower the bar slowly and press up powerfully. Then bring the bar back down towards your sternum. Keep your elbows close to your sides to emphasise your triceps and don’t arch your back.
How To Do Machine Fly’s
1. Firstly, adjust the seat height so that the bottom of the handles are about level with your chest when you're sitting on the machine.
2. Select the weight you want to use on the stack.
3. Sit on the machine, grasp the handles and/or place your forearms on the padding. Take the weight off the stack slightly. This is the starting position for the exercise.
4. Keeping your body fixed, slowly bring the forearm pads or handles together. Don't let them touch.
5. Squeeze the chest muscles for a 1-3 seconds and then slowly lower back to the starting position.